Bebel's beguiling bossa

Brazilian star matures on much anticipated second disc

The apple does not fall far from the tree. That phrase does not always apply when it comes to the offspring of musical superstars. The likes of Julian Lennon, Lisa Marie Presley and most of Bob Marley's kids do not seem to have inherited much of the genius of their famous fathers. Thankfully, Brazilian singing sensation Bebel Gilberto has. Her father, Joao Gilberto, is a legendary pioneer of Brazilian music, while her stepmother, Astrud Gilberto, found fame singing the classic "The Girl From Ipanema."
Bebel has now emerged as the most prominent face and voice bringing the seductive sound of the bossa nova to an international audience. She exploded onto the scene with her 2000 debut, Tanto Tempo. It became a worldwide hit (verging on gold status in Canada), and a remix volume a year later was a favourite in chic boutiques and cafes around the globe.
Gilberto was able to fuse the sounds of classic bossa with contemporary electronica in innovative yet seamless fashion. The long-awaited follow-up to Tanto Tempo is now out, and it is hard to imagine a much better soundtrack to summer.
The new disc is simply entitled Bebel Gilberto, and the singer explains "that is because I think it's important to make a statement with my name. It is a reflection of what I've been going through in the years I've been working and travelling since Tanto Tempo."
Rather than recycling the successful formula of the debut, Gilberto has moved in a more sophisticated musical direction. "I really tried to repeat the feeling, the magic, of the first album, but I also thought I had to move to a more grown-up stage."
Bebel co-writes most of her material, and she has shown excellent judgment in her choice of collaborators. A key figure on the new CD is producer and co-writer Marius de Vries. He has worked with such famed femmes as Madonna, Bjork and Annie Lennox, and he adds a polished and elegant sonic backdrop to the Gilberto voice.
The lovely second track on the disc, "Simplesmente," exemplifies the teamwork approach of the album. "I co-wrote this with Marius and my keyboardist, Didi Gutman. Didi is one of my best friends. He is Argentinean, and he really understands how Brazilian music works. 'Simplesmente' was born during a soundcheck in Holland. Didi started playing those chords, then I came up with the melody." De Vries then added the English lyrics. "My English is pretty basic," Bebel admits. "I don't have the vocabulary that I have in Portuguese. He pointed out some ideas that just completed everything."
Gilberto's true internationalism is confirmed on the track "All Around," which she co-wrote with de Vries and Japanese guitarist Masaharu Shimizu. "Masa is an excellent musician, and he also has an incredible approach to the bossa nova," she says. "I think that Brazilians and Japanese, although the cultures are so distinct, somehow have a lot in common."
That song is her personal favourite. "It reflects exactly the pain I was going through when I wrote it: war had begun, I split up with my boyfriend, I split up with my management, so it was totally an 'all-around' situation. Sometimes, when I'm writing songs, I have an inspiration that develops little by little, but in this case, the song came across in my heart so strong that I just couldn't control it."
The songs on Bebel Gilberto were both written and recorded on three different continents. She and de Vries used studios in London (where they recruited the London Session Orchestra), New York, Rio de Janiero and Salvador (in Bahia).
She is now back on the road with a world tour that will bring her to the lovely deco-styled Carlu on August 20th. "I'm really excited about touring," she says. "It will actually be a continuation of the new Bebel that was born four years ago inside myself. I am honored that people look forward to my music."
Bebel Gilberto is out on Six Degrees/Outside. Bebel Gilberto performs at The Carlu on August 20.

Publication Date: 2004-08-15
Story Location: http://tandemnews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=4282